1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally pertains to military weapon systems; guns, field artillery cannons, howitzers, etc. and more specifically addresses any cannon or gun requiring the use of a primer for primary charge detonation and/or cleaning tools associated with the firing mechanism for the primers.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The firing of field artillery weapons (reference the M198 towed howitzer, M109 series self propelled howitzers, the M110 series of heavy howitzers, and the M107 howitzer) requires several steps to prepare the cannon for firing. The aforementioned artillery pieces all fire a semi-fixed powder charge, meaning the projectile and the powder charge are separate components. To fire the weapon, a projectile must be rammed into the cannon tube and seated into the rifling lands and grooves. Next, the propelling (powder) charge is placed into the powder chamber of the breech, and the breech block is closed. The final preparatory step before firing the cannon, is to open the firing mechanism on the breech block and insert the primer (a small shotgun like cartridge) into the firing mechanism and then close it. To fire the cannon, the number one cannoneer pulls the lanyard attached to the firing mechanism, which strikes a firing pin into the primer initiating its charge. This explosive shot travels down the vent hole ("spit hole") of the breech block and strikes the rear of the propelling charge, in turn initiating combustion of the main charge.
The artilleryman or cannoneer is issued a "belt, primer" -nsn 1025.00.860.5446, which is used to carry the primers in a gun belt fashion. Typically, the cannoneers do not use the belt because of difficulty in inserting and extracting the primers in an expedient manner. The primers are more commonly carried in various unorthodox places by the discretion of each cannoneer. Some of the locations primers have been stored are listed below:
a. The primer's individual vapor barrier pouches are opened and then the primers are strewn about in their fiber board container, and laid somewhere on the cannon. As the gun fires, the vibration can cause the box to move and fall off the cannon, spilling the primers onto the ground, (witnessed on the M198).
b. Placed in the primer belt but slung over various places on the cannons, on trunnions, trails, or just about any nearby protuberance of the cannon, (witnessed on the M198).
c. Stuck in the elastic helmet cover band, (witnessed on the M198 and M109).
d. Stuck in the mouth of the cannoneer, (witnessed on the M198).
e. Loosely stored in oddment trays around the bustle, (witnessed on the M109).
f. Stuck between the aluminum ceiling and the ceiling light. Safety Note: The ceiling light is operated by 24 volt electricity, (witnessed on the M109).
g. Carried in the cannoneer's pockets, (witnessed on the M198).
h. Stuck between the fingers of the cannoneer, (witnessed on the M198).
As one can see, the ingenuity and resourcefulness of the soldier is limitless. However, this non-standardized way of storing the primers causes severe problems while firing the weapon for the cannon crews. The cannoneer must locate the primer, acquire it, orient it, and insert it into the firing mechanism as rapidly as he can. When the primers are strewn about in various orientations and locations, it can take additional critical seconds to locate and manipulate the primers for insertion into the firing mechanism. When crew members rotate positions or must fill in missing positions, the storage of the primers becomes very critical, if everyone stores them in a different place or manner, the new cannoneer must find them before the cannon can be made operational. This time delay could be catastrophic during combat missions.
In addition to the above mentioned problems, when the soldiers are in Mission Oriented Protective Posture (MOPP IV), the operation becomes even more difficult to perform. The MOPP IV ensemble degrades tactile feel and the ability to grasp small objects, limits the soldier's vision, adds mental and physical stress to even the most simple jobs, and in general, encumbers all functions to some degree. The primer belt and canteen straps can impede the performance of MOPP IV operations and many soldiers elect not to wear them, also this eliminates any chance of "snagging" on breech blocks, handles, etc. During an ARL study, "Evaluation of the Effect of Protective Clothing on the Ability of Self-propelled Artillery (M109) Crews to Conduct and Sustain High Firing Rate Missions," the degradation of the ability to locate, acquire, orient, and insert the primers was witnessed.